.

*EDIT* Apparently they have the wrong video in the article (which would be why I was like “WTF!” LOL, here’s the actual video of the actual AKAs who ended up getting promoted. They are MUCH better than the ones who are in the article, I can see how it may have been a tight competition based on that video, but I STILL feel that the ZTAs were named the winners at the competition and as such should have remained the SOLE winners. If the judges felt it was a tie at the competition then they should have called it as such at the competition or had a step-off.

First of all, I watched BOTH performances, and ZTA stepped their asses off. Their routine was clean and entertaining. Listen to the crowd on both videos, the ZTAs got WAY more house. Their routines had more to them, and they won fair and square. I watched the AKAs video expecting them to be just totally awesome and so much more “precise” than the ZTAs, and they weren’t that. They weren’t more precise. In fact, early on in the routine the girl in the front on the right almost fell after doing her Varsity. Some of the moves were sloppy. They stepped HARDER (as in their feet were louder), but that’s about it. I thought their routine was rather boring (even outside of the fact that they weren’t a “novelty” like the ZTAs. All they did “better” than the ZTAs was fling their hair around. In fact, about a 3rd of their routine was them just standing their whipping their heads around to make their hair move.

Outside of how insulting this is to the ZTAs, imagine how we would feel if the roles were reversed. If the AKAs were one of the only Black Sororities at a White Step Show (or dance competition, or something that they wouldn’t expect a Black Sorority to do), and they won. Then imagine that White people went on the Internet or went to the Sponsors and complained about the AKAs winning to the point where the Sponsors said there was a “scoring discrepancy” and said that the AKAs were “tied” with the ZTAs. How much of an outrage would there be in the Black community? We’d have Al and Jesse ready to march. We’d be calling for Pres. Obama to make a speech. We’d be raising hell all because of a perceived racial slight. The ZTAs clearly worked very hard on their routine, and they were very good in their routine. They brought it when people had NO expectations or LOW expectations. They pleased the crowd, they were precise, and they got people to talk about their organization.

This will be short, I’m sure you all can see the posts where I was going after Gov. Paterson (NY) for going after Obama for not supporting his re-election bid. Well it looks like once again Pres. Obama was RIGHT, and now Paterson is bowing out because of a scandal.

Less than 48 hours after the New York Times revealed in a bombshell story that the administration of Gov. David Paterson had intervened in the domestic violence case of a top aide, Paterson has decided to pull the plug on his campaign for governor, the Daily News and the Post are reporting.

No official announcement has been made, but the Post says one is expected later today. Two sources familiar with the decision confirmed to TPM that Paterson will end his campaign.

Looks like the Pres. was right not NOT throw his support behind Paterson simply because he’s a Black man in a Governorship. As for me? I’m laughing my ass off right now. LOL

So I was up this morning and happened to catch Tavis’s “triumphant” (my word) return to the TJMS. As he got into his commentary I thought to myself “I see Tavis is back to Obama hatin’ on the TJMS.” Apparently his latest thing is he’s mad that Obama doesn’t have a specific “Black Agenda” and how “Black Leaders” aren’t going to push him on a “Black Agenda” and now feel that President Obama doesn’t HAVE to have a “"Black Agenda.” Well, we all know Tom looooooooooooooves him some Tavis, so pretty much Tavis wasn’t going to get called on any of his bullshit. I figured that would be the end of it. But nooooo, Rev. Al called in after the following commercial break, and what followed was full of EPIC WIN for Rev. Al. In the event that you missed this completely thorough smack down you can listen to it here.

Now I’ve never been a HUGE fan (or really a fan period) of Rev. Al’s, but lately he hasn’t been annoying me as much as usual, and I’ve actually found myself agreeing with him more often than not. Part of me thinks that’s because he’s mellowed out since Pres. Obama won the election and was inaugurated. But what he did to Tavis on the TJMS today reminded me of “Coming to America” where they walk into the apartment and there’s the chalk outline of the dog and the man with the cane and the guy says “damn shame what they did to that dog.” Rev. Al even went after Tavis for not trying to hold Former Pres. Clinton “accountable” to the Black community even though Tavis himself called Pres. Clinton “Black.” I mean he left no stone unturned. Rev. Al went SO hard on Tavis, that even Tom wasn’t trying to defend him by the end of the call. I heard he also went after Tavis during his own show, unfortunately I missed that, but I’m going to have to see if it’s somewhere on the Internet.

Point blank, Tavis is about TAVIS, not the Black community. Pres. Obama has been refusing Tavis and his bullshit since the election (remember when then Candidate Obama didn’t go to the SOTU and Tavis had a hissy fit in his TJMS commentary? It was shortly before he pulled a Palin and took his ball and went home). Pres. Obama has refused to stroke Tavis’s ego, and we all know Tavis needs his ego stroked often. I’m surprised he waited this long to put together an event where people can get together and hate on Pres. Obama for a few hours. And then of all places to choose, he choose CHICAGO? Real subtle Tavis. Personally, I think he should have had it at Texas Southern. But IF Rev. Al goes to this shindig, I think I may have to watch, if he doesn’t go, I’ll have to pass.

For all of the issues I’ve had with Rev. Al, he’s been pretty consistent. I’ve never thought he was out for “self” I did think some of the stuff he championed was overreation, but he’s been consistent. That’s more than we can say for Tavis.

Michelle Obama’s first year as First Lady of the United States of America has come and gone, and I think it was an amazing first year. I freely admit that I haven’t been paying attention to politics my entire life, at least not as closely as I have in the last year. I also freely admit that I’m more than a little biased when it comes to Michelle Obama. I can honestly say that in the last year I have seen Michelle Obama do things that I never imagined I’d see a First Lady do. I think perhaps the biggest impact she will have is on the young men and women in the Washington D.C. area.

In the past year I have seen and heard countless accounts of her going to schools and talking to teens or stopping in an elementary school to visit a class and read them a book. She's even invited some famous friends to start a mentoring program with a group of 10th and 11th graders. She invited those children and youth to essentially become a part of the Obamas’ extended family. She has gone to soup kitchens without a lot of fanfare and donated her time. Imagine how you’d feel if you were down on your luck and you had to go in to a soup kitchen, and you walked in and there was the First Lady of the United States smiling and joking with you and serving you food. That’s not something I could imagine any other First Lady (in my admittedly short lifetime of only 26 years) doing. She started a White House Garden an instead of simply hiring gardeners to come in and do the work, she did the work and she had children from a local school come in and help her. When the garden was ready to harvest, she then took them into the White House kitchens and showed them what they can do with the food. Again, something I couldn’t imagine any other First Lady doing. The garden has produced over 1,000 pounds of food, and some of that food has been donated to Miriam's Kitchen a local soup kitchen where Michelle volunteered. She even hula hooped and played double dutch, I definitely can’t see any other First Lady doing that. Maybe it’s because she’s one of the youngest First Ladies ever, or maybe it’s just that she cares that much. The White House is once again “the People’s House” mostly because Michelle Obama wanted to open it back up. Even something like the White House Blue Room Christmas tree became a symbol for how she wants to bring the country together and walk the walk instead of simply talking the talk.

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

Sure, she hasn’t been doing the DC social scene, but she reached out to the people who mattered most. Not the ones who could afford to have exclusive parties where the President and First Lady show up, but the ones who probably never thought they’d ever get to hang out with the President and First Lady. You were more likely to see Barack and Michelle Obama if you were just a regular person than you were if instead you were a part of the DC social scene. I’m sure that really pissed a lot of people off, but Michelle Obama still continued to do things her way.

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

To top it all off, she still remains first and foremost Sasha and Malia’s mother. Her daughters are clearly her life. Even with all she’s doing as First Lady she has not once compromised being a good mother. This is something that everyday women do all the time. They have careers and they still take care of their families. Sure they have their support systems, but no one can take the place of a mother’s care and attention. Heck, she even had time to walk the dog regularly (something I think I recall her saying she wouldn’t do before they got him). I recently read an article where she commented that he daughters are still the same kids they were when they left Chicago. I think that's not only a testament to Sasha and Malia for being the level headed young women they are, but it's also a testament to Michelle Obama for making sure that her daughters continued to be raised as normal children, or at least as normal as possible given the circumstances. She even told the staff that the girls have to make their own beds in the morning and do chores.

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

I think what Michelle Obama has shown America is that it’s perfectly okay to just be a Mom. It’s perfectly okay to be who you were before you “arrived”, and if anyone has “arrived” it’s definitely the Obamas. She has shown future First Ladies that there are more important things than merely smiling for the cameras, it’s important to walk the walk. It’s important to not lose sight of who you are outside of your position. I can’t even imagine how many lives she’s personally touched in the DC area by simply being who she is. And I can’t fail to note that she’s happy with who she is, even going so far as to check in with her older friends to make sure she hasn’t changed after being in the bubble that is Washington DC.

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't mention her husband in all of this. The last year has certainly been a challenging one for our President. He's had to make some really hard decisions, a lot of which were unpopular not just on DKos but in the "real world" as well. We all know that he keeps a cool head, he's just a cool guy. Personally, I think it helps that he's surrounded by a family he loves when he goes home. He never looks quite as happy as he does when he's with his wife and children. The Obamas are always quick to tell people that their marriage isn't perfect, and of course every relationship has its issues, but they are an excellent example of how a husband and wife could and should work together. She is his rock, and he's not afraid to admit that. I'll even go so far as to say he wouldn't be where he is today if Michelle Obama wasn't who she is. They called her "The Closer" on the campaign trail, and anyone who listened to Michelle Obama speak about her husband and his vision for America couldn't help but at least give the man a second look if not vote for him.

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

Through this year Michelle Obama has been criticized for just about everything from touching the Queen of England (who was also touching her at the time) to wearing shorts when it was hot outside. What she wore was criticized as if she was supposed to be dressing to please us. Even a new haircut is somehow news. Through it all she’s kept her head up, she’s stayed true to herself, and she did it all HER way.

Whatever happens in MA, it's not a referendum on anyone but the candidates. With that being said, win or lose Democrats in Congress need to wake up and start getting shit done. There is NO excuse. They had 60 Senators and they STILL didn't get what they needed done accomplished. In 2008 they got a MANDATE for change, and instead they haven't been giving us what we need. The actions are not matching the rhetoric. I don't think that's President Obama's issue (even though I'm sure all of the talking heads whom I refuse to watch are going to say it is), I think that's Congress's issue. Jon Stewart said it best:

"Let me see if I have this straight. You need to replace perhaps the most beloved liberal in the history of the Senate with a candidate that believes Curt Schilling is a Yankee fan. Because if this lady loses, the health care reform bill that the beloved late senator considered his legacy will die. And the reason it will die is because if Coakley loses, Democrats will only have then an 18-vote majority in the Senate. Which is more than George W. Bush ever had in the Senate when he did whenever the f**k he wanted."

How about the Democrats grow a spine? This is a wake-up call, a warning shot if you will. While we fight amongst ourselves we are allowing the Republicans to get victories they otherwise wouldn't have gotten. Yes, the Bush years were bad, but they are OVER and like it or not people actually ARE starting to forget who got us into this mess, and which policies got us into this mess.

To the Dems in Congress: You lost one seat, sure it's a big deal, but at the same time it's not a big deal. If we had that one seat, would that then light a fire under your asses to get shit done? You can't live worrying about the next election. Do what you promised. Pass good healthcare, stimulate the economy, stop holding us hostage to Wall St., start repairing our educational system, etc.. Stop with the fucking excuses and start getting stuff done, because this loss is NOT going to make anything any easier. The Republicans aren't that damn smart, you all are just that damn stupid.

To President Obama: You did what you could, you've done what you could, but maybe it's time to stop being so damn polite and start being "real" (to steal a phrase from MTV). As you always state, the buck stops with you whether it's fair or not, so maybe it's time to stop letting Democrats who apparently have no real audacity screw with YOUR legacy. It wouldn't hurt to see some of that audacity you showed during the campaign make an appearance in your Presidency. We all know you know how to get the American people behind you, maybe it's time to stop wasting political capital trying to cover the asses of people who wouldn't do the same for you and start getting more of the stuff you promised done.

Oh, and one more thing, when you have a mandate, you USE the mandate, or you LOSE the mandate.

In case ya'll can't tell, I'm a little (okay, more than a little) pissed right now.